Microsoft has launched the Early Access version of the Minecraft Earth augmented reality game in the United Kingdom, ahead of the worldwide launch before the end of the year.
The company’s answer to Pokemon Go has only been available in beta until now, but Microsoft has now made the Early Access version of the title available on British soil. You can pop along to the iOS App Store and Google Play store now in order to jump into the new AR world.
Free to play, Minecraft Earth brings a new dimension to the beloved block building game, enabling players to create on top of real world environments. As gamers walk around their locale, they’ll see tappable items which can be added to an inventory and used to craft objects and build structures.
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Players will be able to team up with their friends and co-operate in order to create items within the game, that appear to be impressively large when viewed in the context of the real world.
It isn’t quite ready for prime time yet, hence the launch of the Early Access version in the UK. In this release, Microsoft promises that the adventures on offer “are small slices of procedurally-generated, limited-time Minecraft worlds.”
The company, which says the game will get better and better over time (via Windows Central), has preciously advertised these adventures as small quests you can complete in for experience and additional rewards.
The firm says there’ll be “new enemy variants, smelting, and crafting are part of Minecraft Earth. For example, you’ll encounter the Muddy Pig, Moobloom, Jumbo Rabbit, and Cluckshroom.”
Once the full game launches, gamers will be able to enjoy the new Build Plates, which our games writer Jade King describes as “one of the major augmented reality tentpoles of Minecraft Earth.”
They added: “These are worlds that all players can build on, located across specific points in reality. So, if you stumble upon them while on your commute or walking through a park, you can add to them as much as you like.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.